The Curse of the Campfire Weenies
and Other Warped and Creepy Tales

This file contains a synopsis of each story, followed, in many cases, by discussion questions, activities, or other information designed for classroom use. The stories are listed in the order they appear in the book.

A boy struggles against his fear of clowns, but comes to grips with it when he discovers it actually isn't irrational.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

"Have you overcome a fear?"

"Is it easier to deal with a fear if you have a reason for it?"

Ask the students what their younger siblings fear. Discuss ways they can help them deal with those fears.

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"You Are What You Eat"

After eating baby food on a dare, a boy turns into a baby.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Ask the students to think up other foods that could cause amusing transformations.

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A boy likes to spin things. This annoys his older brother. When the older brother is mean, he discovers the danger of small things spinning at high speeds.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This story is probably too dark for use as a classroom read-aloud.

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"The Tunnel of Terror"

A girl shuts her eyes during a scary amusment park ride. But she learns she hasn't avoided seeing horrifying sights -- she's only postponed the experience.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

"What would you do if your friends urged you to join them a ride you didn't want to go on?"

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"A Nice Clean Place"

A girl falls into an immaculate world beneath our own, and discovers why pigeons make such a mess.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

For fun, ask the students to see if they can find out anything about General Treron. There's no such person, but in researching the name, they'll discover that "treron" is a genus in the pigeon family.

This would be a good story to read on Earth Day.

Ask the students to imagine other places where there could be a hidden world or society.

Hobart calls the narrator "Topsider." What other terms could someone use for a person who lives on the surface of the planet?

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A boy find himself in a seemingly endless baseball game. Eventually, he realizes the only way to escape is to break the tie.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

For older students, this is a good predictive-reading story.

Note how the common elements of a sports story are blended with fanatsy details.

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A boy decides to meet his new online friend in the real world, after dark at a rock quarry.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Schools all over the country have used this story to launch a discussion of online safety. I've found that some younger readers might not be clear about the ending, so it would be good to make that part of the discussion. Readers can also go back to look for clues that point toward the shocking twist.

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"The Curse of the Campfire Weenies"

A girl and her little brother are forced to endure their parents' annoying friend during a camping trip.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

If this story were set as a realistic tale, the ending would be horrifying. What elements move it from the arena of reality to the realm of farce? Can the students infer exactly what happened to Mr. Dwerkin?

Note the use of trite rhymes and coined words to highlight the horrors the kids face in the woods.

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When a cat catches a leprechaun, the cat's greedy owner envisions a pot of gold. He gets what he deserves.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Raffi, the cat, is named after a popular children's singer from the past decade. This has no special meaning whatsoever in the story.

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"The Unforgiving Tree"

Years after a boy injures a tree, the tree seeks revenge.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

As most folks will instantly realize, the title is a reference to the polarizing Shel Silverstein picture book, The Giving Tree. This story and that book have little in common other than a tree.

Ask the students if they've ever noticed something strange or puzzling and then come up with a way to find out what was really happening.

When I was little, I remember that the plumber had to come to our house because tree roots had grown into the sewer pipe. Writers often dregde up small memories to help fill in plot details.

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"Bobbing for Dummies"

Two unruly kids destroy a Halloween party.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

It's fun writing a story about kids behaving badly. In one sense, we need to have a solid understanding of good behavior in order to portray bad behavior.

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A lonely girl wanders across the playground, compelled to visit the only girl who is even less popular. That girl makes a horrifying request.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

The story can help start a discussion about how it feels to be excluded.

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After he plays with his father's autographed baseball, a boy is tossed in the trash.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This story is obviously a farce. It can be used to show students that it is okay to go over the top when they write.

Note how a dire situation is contrasted with the character's cheerful observations.

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"Touch the Bottom"

A boy tries to touch the bottom of a deep lake. On the way down, he encounters a creature from the depths that is trying to touch the surface.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

The ending here is a bit subtle, which might make for a good discussion.

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"The Genie of the Necklace"

When a girl releases a genie from her necklace, he offers her a deal that seems too good to be true. She can have anything she wants, and he asks very little in return. But "very little" can turn out to mean everything.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

See if the class can come up with other offers that contain traps. (Dreaming up traps is a great way to learn to avoid getting trapped.) The concept of a dangerous bargain can even be used to introduce the idea of deceptive ads and unfair offers.

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"Alexander Watches a Play"

Alexander watches a play that seems to be about a boy watching a play. which itself is about a boy watching a play. And so on.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Just for fun, bring in a pair of mirrors and let the students see the infinite reflections.

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All the students hate their math teacher. She's not fond of them, either. She's about to retire, but she's leaving a lasting legacy.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This is a lot of fun to read aloud because some of the students will immediately get the ending, while others will need to think for a moment before they see what happened.

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A boy travels with his father to a tropical island where the father is studying the language. When the natives scream a warning and flee in panic, the boy and his father decipher things just a little too late.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

The story is based on actual lingistic concepts and methods. Older students might enjoy learning how other languages have various ways of dealing with concepts such as plurals or gender.

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"Eat Your Veggies"

When a boy refuses to eat his broccoli, he unleashes a chain of events that results in an unexpected disaster.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This is one of the few omniscient stories in the collection. Point out to students that, though the narrator can be anywhere, there is still a structure to the tale, alternating between Ed and the various other characters.

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"Inquire Within"

Two girls see a newpaper ad offering money to anyone who turns in the names of witches. Greed gets the better of them, and they start making a list.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

The story shows how easy it is for a witch hunt to start.

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A boy wonders what will happen if he doesn't respond to the parental warning, "I'm counting to three."

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Ask the students if their parents count to three, and then ask them how they would handle the situation of they were parents.

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An overweight boy finally stands up to one of his tormentors.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

As in many of these stories, this one has an ending that is satisfying in fiction but would be considered unacceptable in the real world. This is a good way to discuss the difference between fiction (or games or movies) and reality.

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"The Soda Fountain"

A boy goes to his local soda fountain every Saturday. He discovers something unsettling about his routine,

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This story provides a twist within a twist.

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When a boy realizes that his allergy doctor is using him to spread sniffles and generate new patients, the boy comes up with a creative form of revenge.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This story hinges on the idea that "allergy shot" can have more than one meaning. See if the students can think of other terms that could spawn a story.

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"Sidewalk Chalk"

Two girls find sidewalk chalk with a magical property -- whatever they draw comes to life. Too bad one of them isn't a very good artist.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

"What would you draw with this chalk?"

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"Don't Ever Let It Touch the Ground"

After a boy's little brother allows the flag to touch the ground, ghosts from the Revolutionary War visit the boy.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

See if the students know the traditional rules for handling a flag.

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A boy picks up the mess in his room, and wonders why he doesn't recognize a lot of his posessions.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This story offers a big twist in a small package. It's a good example of how a surprise can be very powerful when it is woven into familiar or everyday setting or activities.

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"Head of the Class"

A boy who is struggling in school makes a wish that he could always be right. When his wish comes true, he discovers there's a down side to being both right and in error.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Have the students think up other words and phrases that could lead to similar trouble.

Note that in stories like this, there is usually something that triggers that magic. In this case, it's Rusty's lucky shot.

The story also shows students the danger of relying on spell-checker software.

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A girl walking home from school ponders Zeno's paradox, and wonders why she doesn't seem to be getting where she is going.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

The teacher, Mrs. Kripke, is named for a famous modern philosopher. (Okay, he's only famous among philosophy students, but it amused me to include the name.)

In my travels, I've found that students really enjoy learning about paradoxes and discussing them.

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Two boys follow a grasshopper and tease it. Things turn out badly.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This is pretty much just a simple tale of poetic justice.

Students can discuss how, and why, our attitudes toward insects differ from our attitudes toward higher life forms.

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"Nothing Like a Hammock"

A boy goes to visit a classmate he barely knows. When he goes into the wrong back yard, he discovers that not all hammocks are alike.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

Ask the students to think of other man-made objects that resemble items in nature. See if they can come up with stories about those objects.

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A girl who has held off getting her ears pierced finally decides to do it. The experience is less painful than she expected, but also far weirder.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

A nice way to approach the topic of peer pressure and conformity.

Note how the opening paragraph doesn't define what Connie is thinking about. This helps pull the reader in.

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A boy who is afraid of chippers finds himself uncomfortably close to one. His fear grows when it shows up in his yard at night.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

This story is a good illustration of the classic format for a horror story. A small action triggers the monster. The first appearances leave room for doubt. Eventually, the horror is indisputable. Often, the final battle only appears to be a victory for the narrator.

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A group of kids, lost in the woods, find a cabin with some strange mugs.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

"Was it okay for the kids to break into the cabin?"

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"Forgotten Monsters"

Monsters fade away when people stop thinking about them. One monster invents a way to return.

Discussion / Activities / Other useful information:

The story offers students a nice introduction to the concept of meta-fiction.

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